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Dunban Vs. Shanks
The Hero of the Homs faces off against the Red-Haired Straw Hat pirate! Intro Wiz: Swordsmen come in all sorts of sizes and age, but few are able to wield the blade with just one arm. Boom: Like Dunban, Shulk’s role model and the Hero Homs of Colony 9. Wiz: And Shanks, Luffy’s role model and Pirate Warrior of the seas. Boom: He’s Wiz and I’m Boomstick. Wiz: And it’s our job to analyze their weapons, armor, and skills to find out who would win… A Death Battle. (WARNING: THIS ANALYSIS CONTAINS SPOILERS FOR THE GAME "XENOBLADE CHRONICLES". IF YOU HAVE NOT PLAYED THROUGH TO THE END OR WATCHED A PLAYTHROUGH I HIGHLY RECCOMEND YOU DO SO BEFORE READING THIS) Dunban (Cue Time to Fight!) Wiz: Long, long, ago, the world was a boundless ocean and an endless sky. Boom: Until two giant gods came into existence, the Bionis and Mechonis. Basically a giant hippy god and a giant robot god. Wiz: On these two colossal titans, life formed and the gods and their lifeforms lived in harmony for some time… Boom: Until a certain… sword and a certain someone possessed the kind giant Arglas. With a new vessel, this someone waged war against the Mechonis. I guess this someone just really hated machines. I don’t blame him, with how often Wiz’s arm malfunctions… *SMACK* Boom: AGH, DAMN IT! Wiz: Sorry, working on it. Anyway, the Bionis and Mechonis waged war against one another, until the two gods landed fatal blows on each other. With both weak and near death, the two went to sleep, biding their time for the war to continue. Thousands of years went by, and the inhabitants of Bionis and Mechonis had finally put aside their differences and regained peace. (Cue Anger, Darkness of the Heart) Boom: Except they didn’t, because apparently no one in fiction ever thinks about talking things out. In reality, the Mechon leader Egil was still pissed about the Bionis backslashing him, so he constantly threw his robot minions at the Homs. Wiz: The Homs fought back though. One such battle was the Battle of Sword Valley, quite possibly one of the most definitive victories against the Mechon. Boom: Thanks to the power of the Monado, the hero Dunban defeated the Mechon army almost single handedly. Almost, because he had a little help from his two good, trustworthy, pure friends for life, Dickson and Mumkhar. Wiz: However, the battle was not without its losses. Because Dunban was not the chosen heir to the Monado, the blade rejected him and claimed the use of his right arm. Dunban was sent home and suffered great injury to his body and his pride. For a year, Dunban waited in his house for his arm to return to him, but it never did. Boom: Oh, but let’s not forget that when the Mechon attacked Colony 9, Dunban got right back up and used that Monado once again. Wiz: Which worked for a little, but once again he could not wield the blade without losing his arm again. Bad for him, but it ended up working out in his favor when it was discovered that Shulk could use the Monado instead. (Cue Mechanical Rhythm) Boom: Now you may be wondering, after being straight up rejected by a legendary sword TWICE, how could anyone ever lift a sword again knowing how not-chosen they are? Oh that’s right, Dunban got right back up AGAIN and this time used his LEFT arm to use swords, and joined Shulk on his quest to kill all those damn malfunctioning robots. Wiz: It’s true; Dunban is incredibly strong-willed and always gives it his all in battle. Even with one arm, Dunban’s skill and combat prowess did not change at all. Boom: But Wiz, what sword could possibly replace something like the Monado? Wiz: It is indeed hard to say what sword Dunban actually used, since, like most RPGs, the player chooses what weapons the character uses. However, we DO know for a fact that Dunban received the Anti-Mechon Glaive from Dickson in order to slay Mechon without the need of a Monado. Boom: Though the Anti-Mechon Glaive is the weakest of Dunban’s anti-robot weapons, it is likely that he upgraded them as the story progressed, since the Anti-Mechon glaive is eventually outclassed in it’s function by the Anti-Mechon Striker and then the Machina Blade I, II, and finally III. And the Machina Blade III is a sweet blue lightsaber! Wiz: Though the blades functions all remain the same, the Machina Blade III features a laser blade and boasts more than 500 more damage than the original Anti-Mechon Glaive. Boom: That’s cool and all, but there’s much more to Dunban than just his sword. Like every other Xenoblade character, Dunban has a number of Arts to use in battle. These Arts range from striking foes hard enough to make them topple to SHOOTING A BURST OF ELECTRICITY FROM HIS BACK? I mean, what the actual hell? Wiz: Many of Dunban’s more absurd abilities are thanks to his usage of Ether, which is basically the life force of the Xenoblade world. Turns out it can be channeled into attacks too. He also gradually builds up a meter, and when it’s filled he can use the Blossom Dance, a fierce multi-hit combo that can fell even the most deadly foes. (Cue Unfinished Battle) Wiz: Dunban’s Arts compliment his fighting style perfectly, helping him increase his agility and reviving him just before incapacitation. Boom: Dunban is a speedy swordsman, relying on his agility to avoid hits rather than tank them. He’s basically the ultimate glass cannon, hitting swiftly and hard. And really, when you’re as agile as Dunban, you don’t really need to worry about defenses anyway. Wiz: True, but he’s not untouchable. Sometimes a stray hit can still hit him, and aside from Jaws of Death, he has no other way of healing himself, meaning that even normal hits will take their toll on him more than they would on most other people. And his armor doesn’t help much either, since it’s basically just a nice uniform. Boom: Hey, don’t talk bad about that armor. It may not do much, but damn it’s classy! Wiz: It’s so useless that Dunban is actually BETTER without his clothes. Er, at least in terms of agility. Boom: Still, Dunban has done some impressive things. (HUGE SPOILER WARNING) He’s completely humiliated that traitor Mumkhar in a one-on-one battle, and even sliced the arm of off Metal Face’s body before he could even react! Wiz: This is actually much more impressive than it seems. Metal Face is constantly seen moving at speeds that break the sound barrier, as proved by the cone that forms behind his propulsors in flight. We know that Metal Face was able to dodge lasers and anti-air artillery from both Colony 9 and the High Entia defense systems, so we know that Metal Face can traverse areas well while going at speeds faster than sound. The fact that Dunban was able to slice off Metal Face’s arm before he could react means that Dunban had to have moved faster than 768 miles per hour to catch him off guard. Boom: Oh, that’s not all. Remember how Dunban was rejected by the Monado… twice? Well, he also had to deal with losing his sister and realizing that his two best comrades were actually scumbag traitors that wanted to kill him all along! If that wasn’t bad enough, he had to fight the GOD of the Xenoblade universe, Zanza. Wiz: While he was accompanied by Shulk, Fiora, Reyn, Riki, Melia, and Sharla, he still had to have helped somewhat. We know that Zanza was literally recreating the WORLD during the final battle, multiple times. However, this isn’t necessarily just a durability feat. As seen with Shulk and Fiora, their victory against Zanza was almost completely because of their sheer will to survive, not their durability. Since Dunban survived the battle, he likely also had enough willpower to not be erased from existence. Boom: How does that even work? Oh, you killed me but I don’t wanna die so I don’t? What is this, the playground in elementary school? Wiz: Well, kind of. Either way, Dunban is a truly astounding hero and role model. Even after all the shit he’s gone through, he’s still hanging tough and chivalrous as always. Mumkhar: Dunban… you’ll never win! Get on your knees and worship me! Dunban: Never. I will strike you down and all that you have become, you wretched fool. The Monado will stop you, and then you will know the shame of all that you have done, traitor! Shanks (Cue Pirate Warriors 2 Main Theme) Boom: Ah, pirates, the seafaring, gold-hunting, scurvy-ridden buckaneers of the old world. They take what they want when they want it, and live however they like. Well unless Disney is involved. Wiz: One such pirate was once a mere cabin boy in the West Blue, under the pirate Gol. D. Rogers. Here, the boy Shanks met Buggy. The two often argued over their conflicting morals, and even swore to meet again one day as enemies. Boom: Damn, that’s some childhood drama right there. I can’t say I blame Buggy though, I mean if there was a treasure chest you bet your ass I’m gonna go get it. Stupid morals. Wiz: Those ‘stupid morals’ got Shanks very far in the pirate totem pole. He eventually joined Whitebeard’s crew, and battled with the ferocious Blackbeard, from which he carries three permanent reminders. (Cue Pirate Warriors Buggy’s Theme) Boom: Eventually, Shanks formed his own crew, and found a village with a strange boy named Luffy. He decided to make the village their base for a year, because messing with a little kid and crushing his dreams on a daily basis is definitely the best way to have fun. Wiz: Though his constant teasing angered Luffy, it actually motivated the boy more and more to eventually join Shank’s crew one day, though Shanks insisted that even then he might not be able to join. Boom: Everything changed for Luffy AND Shanks when a group of bandits found the village and demanded a bunch of beer. Too bad those bandits are never named, cause that’s one group I’d like to join. Wiz: The bandits humiliated Luffy’s pride by completely disrespecting Shanks’ kindness. Eventually Luffy’s mouth got the better of him and the bandits kidnapped him, forcing Shanks and his crew to finally take action. Boom: This time Shanks wasn’t going to let them get aw- AW DAMN IT, HE STILL HASN’T KICKED ANYONE’S ASS. Wiz: Because his crew was more than capable of destroying the bandits themselves. In a last ditch effort, the bandit leader took Luffy to the sea while trying to escape… Boom: But he failed that too, cause Moby Dick decided to stop by and eat him! He was gonna eat Luffy for dessert too, but Shanks wasn’t having none of that. He got in there and made Moby Dick step off, saving the day. Wiz: But, like almost every other victory in fiction, there were consequences. Shanks had lost his left arm while trying to evade the monster, and would be forced to use his right from then on. Boom: What’s with all these badasses losing their arms? Can’t they just be badass and not have to be crippled? Wiz: Maybe, but Shanks was hardly affected at all. He shrugged off the fact that he lost his dominant arm and simply adjusted to his right. Boom: Now that’s badass! Wiz: Shanks’ reputation didn’t suffer at all from this; in fact, Shanks went on to confront even Whitebeard and Blackbeard, some of the most feared pirates in the One Piece universe. He also ended a war just by showing up. Boom: Holy shit! (Cue Pirate Warriors Gear Second) Wiz: Shanks often uses a simple saber in battle nowadays, which he combines with his Haki to defeat even whole armies. Boom: He uses a Lightsaber and the Force? Wiz: No, a saber is just a heavy cavalry sword with a curved blade and a single cutting edge. And his Haki isn’t really like the Force at all. Haki is a power found within everyone… Boom: Like the Force? Wiz: No! There are usually two types of Haki available for people to tap into, but there does exist a third Haki that select few can use too. They are the Kenbunshoku, Busoshoku, and Haoshoku. The Kenbunshoku allows the user to sense spiritual energy and gives the wielder a sort of precognitive ability, the Busoshoku uses life force as armor to defend or to boost their attacks, and the Haoshoku allows the user to overpower enemies through sheer willpower. Boom: Haoshoku also happens to be the rarest Haki, found only in one out of a million people. Shanks happens to be one of them, which is how he was able to tell off that overgrown fish. Wiz: Shanks can use at least two of the three Haki. His other Haki is the Busoshoku, which was shown to split the sky when he clashed blades with Whitebeard, and also when he used the Busoshoku to defend from a Logia attack. Boom: Pretty impressive, since Logia users are strong enough to destroy ISLANDS. Wiz: Shanks also has the ability to channel lighting through his sword when using his techniques, Strike for the New World and To the Heights of Piracy. Boom: Is it just a rule now for all badasses to lose their arms AND use electricity? I mean, that’s not even Shanks’ most absurd ability. Turns out Shanks actually can use the Kenbunshoku Haki, which lets him slow the flow of time. Because y’know, why the hell not? Wiz: Shanks is actually a very reserved fighter, often trying to avoid confrontation whenever possible. Because of this, much of Shanks’ potential isn’t known outside of the Pirate Warriors series. There, Shanks is more than capable of taking down entire ARMIES. Boom: He even dodged a giant water bucket thing after Whitebeard got salty! He’s so fast, he appears as a blur! And he wasn’t even standing! Wiz: To appear as a blur, Shanks likely moved at supersonic speeds, and this is because he wasn’t even standing either. However, Shanks isn’t perfect. He doesn’t practice battling very often thanks to his laid-back, carefree attitude. And he is known for being close to the bottle, rather than the sword. Boom: Hey, if Shanks is that good with a sword, who even cares if he has a drink now and then? I know I don’t! Shanks: Listen up… You can pour drinks on me, you can throw food at me… You can even spit on me. I’ll just laugh that stuff off. But… Good reason or not… Nobody hurts a friend of mine. Interlude Wiz: Alright, the combatants are set. Let’s end this debate once and for all. Boom: It’s time for a one-armed DEATH BATTLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Pre-Fight (Cue Colony 9) Colony 9 was a quiet place. On Bionis, there weren’t usually many new people to meet. On this particular day, a group of pirates found their way to Colony 9 after a ferocious, unexpected thunderstorm. As the pirates pulled into Colony 9, the residents noticed how strange and old the ship looked. In fact, they had never even seen a ship like that before. Dunban wasn’t a drinker. But, after everything had been settled, he needed one. After all, he had helped defeat a God. Right now, though, he was thinking about the men he had once shared drinks with in the very same place. Dickson… Mumkhar… these people had betrayed his trust. He had gone through a roller coaster of emotions recently, and while he was happy for Shulk, Reyn, Riki, Sharla… he still needed some alone time. And he had it, until a group of pirates settled in. “Hey buddy, mind moving over?,” one of the pirates pushed. Dunban turned slightly, but said nothing. “Yasopp, leave him be. There’s plenty of room over here.”, a red-haired man calmly commanded. Dunban studied the group from afar, and noticed how strange they looked compared to other Homs. He wasn’t usually one to judge, but the word they threw around… Pirate. That word didn’t sit well with him. Suddenly, something caught Dunban’s eye: a Wanted: Dead or Alive post sticking out of one of the pirate’s pocket. The bounty? $94,000,000. (Cue Confrontation With the Enemy) At that point, Dunban wasn’t even concerned with the reward. Someone with a $94,000,000 bounty had to be taken down as soon as possible. “You there! Pirate! Your carelessness betrays you. A $94 million bounty, and you act as though you can share this place with other innocent Homs??”, Dunban roared. From the side, a red-haired pirate responded, “Hey buddy, that’s my crew mate Rockstar you’re yelling at. If you wanna get to him, you’ll have to get through me first.” “So be it,” Dunban murmured. He drew his blade, and prepared himself for battle. Similarly, Shanks gripped his saber and revealed it’s glory. By now, all the pirates and Homs had fled, for even a young Nopon could tell the two would level the very building in their clash. FIGHT Dunban and Shanks threw their blades at each other, creating an echoing, metallic CLANG. The two swordsmen continued to weave and slash against the other, neither landing a hit on the other. “GALE SLASH!” Dunban stabbed like a blur, speeding past Shanks. At first, Shanks hadn’t realized that Dunban had sliced his side open, but he soon felt the blood seeping out. Such a strike would cause intense bleeding, but he would live… at least long enough to take out Dunban. Like clockwork, Dunban turned quickly and used his Electric Gutbuster attack on the stunned Shanks; like a brick hurdling through one’s stomach, then electrifying said stomach. That was the pain Shanks endured. That wasn’t the end of it, though. To finish his combo, he used Steel Strike, hurling the red-haired pirate through a table and knocking him flat on his rear-end. Dunban raised his blade to end the pirate, but luckily for the pirate, he had his Haoshoku ability to hold off Dunban just long enough to recover from the floor and regain his stance. (Cue Pirate Warriors 2 Even if I’m Reckless) “STRIKE FOR THE NEW WORLD!” Shanks raised his blade, then struck it into the floor, launching an uncontrollable burst of lightning everywhere. Dunban managed to dodge a couple, but was caught by a stray bolt. Taking advantage of Dunban’s pain, Shanks got a solid swipe on Dunban in, tearing off some of his General’s outfit and drawing blood. “Guhh…” Dunban grunted. He had gotten sloppy… But he could easily fix that. He evaded Shanks following attacks… a horizontal swipe, and diagonal cut, and a forward jab. He steadied himself, then muttered, “Stay calm… stay focused…” Shanks took this as an opportunity to use To the Heights of Piracy, but to his shock, Dunban completely dodged the attack this time, and retaliated with a Worldly Slash. First, one powerful falling strike, then a horizontal slam. It’s times like this Shanks wished he had actual armor to wear. Shanks decided it was time to end the battle, and embued his saber with the Busoshoku. He ferociously swung his blade with enough force to split the sky… again. Dunban met the blade with his own, but was thrown off balance by the strike. And he wasn’t the only one, either. Shanks’ strike had split the whole building in half. Before Dunban could recover, Shanks used the Kenbunshoku, and lept towards Dunban with his blade prepared to remove limbs. Dunban wasn’t entirely defenseless, though. He was still seeing everything, and knew that even though Shanks was faster, he could still try to keep up. He ran with all his might, which was equivalent to a drunkard hurling themselves at someone in speed. Shanks was caught off-guard by this, since most people would be moving as though they were in molasses after the Kenbunshoku. Shanks shook it off, and maneuvered around Dunban. He was fast, but Shanks was definitely faster now. He grabbed Dunban from behind, gripped his right arm, then placed his saber in his mouth and jabbed straight down into Dunbans’ arm, sawing it off like a wedge splitting a piece of wood in half. Time returned to normal, and Dunban nearly roared in pain. He couldn’t use that arm, but he still felt it. The blood rushed out of the socket like an overflown dam unleashing it’s storage of water. Though it was brief, in that moment Shanks almost considered himself blood-o-phobic. (Cue You Will Know Our Names) Dunban was still willing to fight, though. He had accepted the loss of his arm long ago, and wasn’t about to let a useless limb bring him down. He punched Shanks with his sword-grasping fist, then lept into the air and used Tempest Kick, whirling Shanks around the building rubble like a doll caught in a wind storm. Each piece of broken wood, or bit of concrete that struck Shanks reminded him that he probably should’ve just let Rockstar get turned in. That would have been the least painful method, at least. Maybe he would still be having a drink if that had happened. But it hadn’t, so Shanks had to deal with his choice. His blade met Dunban once more, and the two looked one another in the eyes; for a moment, there was a certain amount of respect being given from one swordsman to another. They both realized the man they were facing was more than a worthy opponent for them, so they decided to give it every single bit of energy they had left. Shanks ran up the wall, then flipped back, dropping his blade into a lightning strike. Dunban was too tired to dodge, so he prepared for the long run by activating Jaws of Death. He took the full blow of Shanks’ strike; the blade pierced him straight through the gut, and sent electricity throughout his body. He would have died, too, if it wasn’t for his revival Art. Like a zombie rising from the dead, Dunban stood once more, and this time in better condition than when he had been struck down. Shanks sighed, and focused himself. Dunban, too, readied himself, for they both knew their next move. The bystanders all agreed afterward; what happened next was but a blur to them. In multiple areas, all that could be seen were two human-like forms clashing blades from one spot to another, moving so fast it may as well have been instantaneous. Eventually, someone had to give in; that someone was Shanks. Dunban had caught him in a swipe. Shanks tried one more final Strike for the New World, but Dunban avoided it even better than before. Dunban approached Shanks, and readied his blade. “BORN IN A WORLD OF STRIFE!” Shanks blocked the blow, imbued by Busoshoku. With such an impact, however, he still felt his insides gush and more blood from his wounds spilt out. “AGAINST THE ODDS!” Shanks barely deflected the blade, but had been caught by it a bit. The blade had caught a finger and claimed it. “WE CHOOSE TO FIGHT!” The pirate blocked one blow, then countered the second with his own final sky-splitting strike. This time, indeed, the sky was sliced. “BLOSSOM DANCE!!!” The red-haired pirate blocked one last time; and under the will of Dunban, the saber snapped. At that moment, time seemed to slow, as Shanks watched the blade shatter in half, and the Machina Blade swung down upon the great pirate. Like a hot knife through butter, Dunban’s blade sliced through Shanks, splitting him into two halves; the top and bottom. For a moment, the two halves seemed to float in mid air as the strike sent them flying in opposite directions. He placed his sword back in its sheath, and hung his head in silence. Shanks was an honorable foe, but had defended a killer. For that, the deed had to be done. The outlaw had fled, and yet, he was at least glad that Shanks hadn’t died for nothing. Dunban limped away from the rubble to return to his home and rest; surely Shulk and Fiora would want to know what had happened that day. And well, the authorities too. Conclusion (Cue To the Last Battle) Boom: Ahhh, there goes all the loot and gold I bet on Shanks. Wiz: Shanks did have more experience than Dunban, having been trained as a pirate since he was a child. And his Haki kept Dunban at bay and helped Shanks match Dunban. But that’s about all it did. Boom: Yeah, Shanks is capable of taking out armies single-handidly, but he hardly ever trains himself for battles like this. In fact, most of the armies he can take are completely insignificant forces made up entirely of grunts, instead of actual army formations with strategy and different units. He basically just hacks and slashes a bunch of people that are just standing there anyway. Wiz: And while he could hold Dunban at bay with his Busoshoku, he would have to withstand the force of a blade that can outclass anti-air artillery multiple times. True, that doesn’t equal an island-level strike, but the island level strike is assumption anyway, since the Logia he blocked wasn’t the same one that destroyed an island. Boom: In fact, the island was destroyed by TWO Logia, not one. Add with the fact that Shanks’ Busoshoku can’t increase his own durability, only block attacks, and there’s no reason why Dunban’s strikes wouldn’t eventually shatter Shanks’ sword and kill Shanks himself too, especially since he would have to block Dunban’s strikes perfectly EVERY SINGLE TIME. Wiz: Dunban also has more versatility than Shanks. His Arts helped Dunban perfectly by lowering Shanks’ strength, increasing his own agility, and reviving him and even healing him when necessary. Wiz: Basically, all of Shanks’ chances at winning were countered by Dunban. His hits would either miss Dunban completely, or Dunban could heal himself before incapacitation. Even Shanks’ time slow wasn’t a game changer since Dunban is faster than sound. Overall… Shanks’ downfall was his lack of combat showings and abilities. Because he hardly ever fights, his feats and abilities are used very little. And as a secondary result, it also means we don’t know the limits of his abilities either, just like the Busoshoku. Boom: In the end, Shanks just wasn’t sharp enough. He should’ve stayed on-point, but not everyone is cut out for these kinds of duels. Wiz: ……The winner is Dunban. Next time Category:What-If? Death Battles Category:Completed What-If? Death Battles Category:Tewn Lonk Category:Sword Duel Category:'Video Games vs Anime/Manga' themed Death Battles Category:Season Premiere Category:Death Battles with cameo appearances Category:'Hero vs. Hero' Themed Death Battle Category:Series Premiere Category:What-If? Death Battles completed in 2016